Boiler-cleaning apparatus.



B. NEiLL. BOILER CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLiCATlON FILED SEPT-14 1914.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET'L TIDE:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D c.

B. NEILL. BOILER CLEANING APPARATUS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

orio.

BERTRAM NEILL, 0F FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA.

BOILER-CLEANING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 14, 1914.

lerton, in the county of Orange, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a boiler cleaning apparatus.

It is the object of this invention to provide a mechanism for removing sedimentary deposits from the interiors of boilers to prevent incrustation on the inner walls thereof and thereby increase the length of life of the boiler.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of the above character in which the sediment may be scraped from the walls of the boiler and directed into a shield from whence it may be discharged by steam pressure without discharg ing the water from the boiler or stopping its operation.

Another object is to provide means for adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with'the bottom of the'boiler, and also to provide a simple and effective means whereby the shield may be manually raised and lowered without the use of worm or threaded shafts.

Another object is to provide means for scraping the internal walls of the boiler with means'for actuating same which will. cooperate with the guard operating mechanism whereby both may be actuated in one operation. I

A further object is to provide .means for clamping the shield against the bottom of the boiler which, on being actuated, will automatically open the space beneath the shield to the exterior of the boiler and permit the steam pressure in the boiler to effect the discharge of the sediment'deposited beneath the shield and in ventingthe space beneath the shield permit the pressure in the boiler to clamp the shield against the bottom thereof.

A further object is to provide cooperating scrapers and shield soarranged and connected that when the scrapersare moved downwardly to advance the sediment to the bottom of the boiler the shield will be ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Seria11 To.861,513.

vated clear of'the scrapers when the latter are in their lowermost position but will be lowered to confine the sediment beneath the shield when the scrapers are in their normal position.

The invention is illustrated in the acc0mpanying drawings in which: Figure l is a View of a boiler in longitudinal section with parts removed illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail section in elevation on line 2-2 in Fig.1 as seen in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a view of the forward end of the boiler as seen in the direction indicated by arrow ain Fig. 1 with parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail ver- "tical section of the forward portion of the boiler showing the handwheel and operating'lever for actuating the boiler cleaning mechanism Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation of the rear portion of the boiler with parts removed and'showing the mechanism for automatically exhausting a space beneath the shield onclamping the latter in position against the bottom of the boiler. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section of the. forward end of the boiler with the boiler tubes removed and showing the forward portion of the boiler cleaning mechanism in plan.

, More specifically, 10 indicates a boiler of a fire-tube type having the usualtubes 11 extending throughout the length thereof and opening to the end plates 12 and 13 of the boiler as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. EX- tending through the front plate 12 and supported in bearings on hangers 14 secured to the top of the boiler, is a revoluble shaft 15, the outer end of which is fitted with the hand-wheel 16 by means of which it can be manually rotated. v

Mounted on the shaft 15 at suitable intervals throughout its length are pinions 17 which mesh with segmental racks 18 mounted on the inner faces of segmental carriages 19. The carriages '19 are formed with arcuate outer faces which are concentric with the inner cylindrical walls of the boiler 10 and are provided with rollers 20 which bear against the inner surface of the boiler and are adapted to travel thereon circumferentially thereof. y

The carriages 19 are preferably formed of channel iron between the side flanges of which the rollers are mounted, and are 1 -of such proportions as to extend approxi- 1 terminate adjacent the inner walls of the vjacent ends.

end plates thereof, and pivotally mounted on these rods 21 is a pluralityof scraper blades 22, which blades are disposed diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the boiler, and slightly overlap each other at their ad- The connections between the blades 22 and the shaft 21 consist of eyebolts 23 through which the shaft 21 extends and on which the blades'22 are rigidly mounted. The lower edges of the blades 22 are beveledto conform'to the curvature of the inner face of the boiler and normally lie in contact therewith by virtue of the weight of the blades, in such manner that when the'carriages 19 are rocked the down wardly moving blades 22 will operate to scrape the inner walls of the boiler and fad-- vance the sediment therewith, Each shaft 21 is fitted with brushes 2& which contact the inner wall of the boiler at thecircumferential rows of rivets; these brushes operating to remove and advance the sediment deposited around the rivet heads.

Extending longitudinally, of the boiler, and adapted to rest on the bottom thereof, is a shield 25 comprising a top plate 26, depending side walls 27 and 28, and end walls 29 and 30. This shield 26 is placed.

within the boiler through a manhole 31 formed in the end plate 12, and is proyided with :a series of, collars 32 rigidly secured to a top 26 at intervals throughout the length thereof, which collars are adapted to receive arod 33 of a length corresponding; to thatof the shield 25 and adapted to be inserted through the collars 32 longitudinally of'the shield; the rod 33 being inserted in its place through the man-hole 31, and secured by means of a set screw 34: in

- the forward collars 32.

Mounted on the shaft 15 are depending chains 35, the lowerends of which are secured to clamps 36 adapted to be engaged with the rod 33 to form a connection between the shaft 15 and the rod 33, whereby when the shaft 15 is rotated in'either direction, the chains 35 will be wound thereon and unwound therefrom to raise and lower the shield r i Means are provided for clamping the shield 25 against the-bottom of the boiler 10 when in its lowermost position.- vThis meansincludes a reciprocally mounted bar 38 which extends longitudinally through 7 40 in any desired position.

the boiler parallel with the shaft 15; the

that when the latter is positioned longitudinally rocker arms 40 will be turned on theirpivot pins 39. The inner ends of the 3 a rocker arms 40 are formed with" inclined 1 lower faces 43, as particularly shown in Fig. 2, which are adapted to be moved in; and'out of engagement with'the upper ends of vertically disposed rods 44, which rods have their upper ends guided in'the brackets 1a and their lower ends secured to collars a5 throiwh which the rod 33 passes; The 7 inner ends of the rocker arms 40, are designed to position out of alinement with the rods 4 1 so that the latter will be free to moveupwardly on rotation of the shaft 15. The bar 38 is pivotally connected at its I forward end to a hand-lever e6, pivoted at 4:7 and fitted with a spring pressed pawl 48 engageable with a toothed-rack 19. to lock' the hand-lever 46, rod 38- and rocker arms Connected to the bottom of the boiler and opening to the interior thereof at a point beneath the shield 25 adjacent the rear end thereof is a pipe 50 which extends rearwardly of the boiler and is fitted .with' a normally closed cut-off valve 51.- The valve 51 is provided with an operating lever 52 to which is attached a connecting rod 53 leading upwardly and connecting-with a bell crank lever 58: pivoted at 55 and having a slot 56 on its upwardly extending arm, which engages a pin 57 on the bar 38 insuch manner that when the bar 38 is shifted inwardlyto clamp the shield 25- in place, the

valve 51 will be automatically opened to permit the discharge from the boiler of the materials incased within the shield '25. A As a means for utilizing the steam in the. boiler for rejecting the substances inclosed,

Within the shield 25, the forward end of the latter is fitted with an upwardly extending pipe 58 which opens at its upper end to the interior of the boiler above the norma water line therein. a V

In the operation of the invention when it is desired to effect the removalof the sediment from the boiler the shaft 15 is firstrotated in one direction by means of the hand wheel 16 so as to cause the winding of the chains 35thereon to elevate the shield 25, and at the same time cause its carriages to be advanced peripherally of the boiler by the action of the pinions 17-on the toothed a pointbeneath the shield 25'; the carriages 19 being moved sufliciently far to close the blades on one end thereof at a point sub-- stantially in alinement with the vertical center of the boiler. The direction of rotation of the shaft 15 is then reversed, thereby unwinding the chains 35 therefrom and lowering the shield 25, and at the same time moving the carriages 19 to their normal position. Continued movement of the pinion rotation of the shaft 15 in reverse direction will rewind chains 35 thereon and continue the movements of the carriages 19 to advance the blades 22 and brushes 2% opposite those previously operated to a point beneath the shield 25. The shaft 15 is then restored to its normal position, thus lowering the shield 25 so that the latter will rest on the bottom of the boiler and encompass the sediment deposited therebeneath by the action of the blades 22. The shield 25 is then securely clamped in position by shifting the bar 38 rearwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow d in Fig. 1, thereby causing the rocker arms 40 to advance with the inclined faces as engaging the upper ends of the bars at so as to press downwardly on the latter and be securely clamped to the shield 25. This rearward movement of the bar 38 operates to automatically open the valve 51 through its connections therewith, thus opening the space beneath the shield 25 and permitting the discharge of the water and sediment beneath the shield which is effected by pressure of steam entering the forward end of the shield 25 through the pipe 58. The opening of the valve 51 vents the space beneath the shield 25 so that the pressure of steam into boiler 10 will bear upon the shield 25 and cotiperate with the rocker arms 4L0 in clamping the shield tightly against the bottom of the boiler so as to form a tight oint therewith and prevent the escape of the water from the boiler.

By the use of this apparatus the sediment may be quickly removed at any desired time without stopping the operation of the boiler.

'After the sediment has been removed from beneath the shield 25 the bar 38 is retracted so as to release the shield and at the same time close the valve 51, thus leaving the parts disclosed in their normal position in readiness for a subsequent operation.

What I claim is:

1. A boiler cleaning apparatus, comprising a series of movable scrapers arranged within the boiler, a shield adapted to encompass the materials removed by the scrapers, and means for operating the scrapers and shield simultaneously, whereby the latter will be elevated as the scrapers are advanced to move the materials therebeneath.

2. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a series of arcuate carriages mounted within the boiler to move peripherally thereof, scrapin members carried by said carriages, a shield 'normally resting on the bottom of the boiler, and means for simultaneously elevating or lowering the shield and moving the carriages. I I v 3. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield adapted to rest on the bottom of the boiler, means for raising and lowering said shield, means for clamping the shield against the bottom of the boiler, and means actuated by operation of the shield clamping means for opening the space beneath the shield to exhaust.

4. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield arranged within the boiler and extending longitudinally thereof, means for shifting the shield vertically, means cooperating with the shield shifting means for advancing sediment in the boiler to a point beneath the shield, means for clamping the shield against displacement, means cooperating with the shield clamping means for opening the space beneath the shield to exhaust, and means for admitting steam to the space beneath the shield whereby the sediment may be expelled from the boiler.

5. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield within the boiler adapted to seat on the bottom thereof, a revoluble shaft, flexible connections between said shaft and the shield, whereby rotation of the shaft will effect the raising or lowering of the shield, bars connected to the shield and means operating on said bars for clamping the shield in its low ermost position.

6. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield within the boiler adapted to seat on the bottom thereof, a revoluble shaft, flexible connections between said shaft and the shield, whereby rotation of the shaft will effect the raising or lowering of the shield, bars connected to the shield, a reciprocal bar, and means actuated by said reciprocal bar adapted to act on the bars connected with the shield to clamp the latter against the bottom of the boiler.

7 In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield within the boiler adapted to seat on the bottom thereof, a revoluble shaft, flexible connections between said shaft and the shield, whereby rotation of the shaft will effect the raising or lowering of the shield, bars connected to the shield, a reciprocal bar, and rocker arms connected to said reciprocal bar adapted to engage the bars on the shield to clamp the latter in position on the bottom of the boiler.

8. In a boiler cleaning apparatus, a shield within the boiler adapted to seat on the bottom thereof, a revoluble shaft, flexible connections between said shaft and the shield, whereby rotation of the shaft will effect the raising or lowering of the shield, bars connected to the shield, a reciprocal bar, means actuated by said reciprocal bar adapted to act on the bars connected- With the shield to have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th clamp the latter against the bottom of the day of August, 1914. V

boilerand means controlled by said recip-' g Y rocal ind for exhausting the-spacebeneath l o B R NEILL' 5 the shield when the latter is clamped in its Witnesses:

' lowermost position.

7 MARGUERITE BATns; '7 In Witness that I claim the foregoing I MARIE BATTEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forgfiizecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' I Washington, D. G. 

